For India, China's Indian Ocean power projection, maritime domain awareness, dual-use ports, underwater surveillance, antisubmarinewarfare, naval exercises with Pakistan, pose considerable pressure, depleted India's strategic depth and marginalises Indian role, points out Srikanth Kondapalli.
Amid rising tensions, Iran reportedly launched ballistic missiles toward a US-UK military base, prompting concerns about regional stability and the potential for escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Last year, China held a meeting with some South Asian countries on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation without the participation of India.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India's military modernisation efforts at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting its growing industrial and logistics capacity.
In an address at the Global Dialogue Security Forum, he underlined the need for India to put greater focus on having strong bilateral, trilateral and multilateral arrangements with like-minded countries to maximise its strategic leverage in the region.
The US has seized an oil tanker, 'Skywave', linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean, as part of efforts to disrupt Iran's oil shipments and enforce sanctions. The vessel was part of a network transporting sanctioned Iranian crude oil, with the seizure occurring amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
During an interaction at a conclave in New Delhi, he also said that the Indian Navy is seized of the docking of various PLA Navy ships at ports in Pakistan, and it is 'keeping a watch on it'.
French naval commander expresses concern over China expanding its maritime influence in the region.
"We talk about coming together in a constructive manner. That has been our (India's) theme always. India becoming the headmaster; that is never the intention. There are similar threats like piracy that affect all nations equally like the piracy off the Somalia coast... to that extent, yes," Verma told media persons in Port Blair when asked to comment on the US suggestion in this regard last week.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from the strategically located Karwar naval base in Karnataka, signifying India's commitment to regional maritime security. He also inaugurated newly developed infrastructure at the base, a key milestone under Project Seabird. The expansion of the naval base strengthens India's maritime security with cutting-edge facilities and advanced operational capabilities.
A parliamentary panel on external affairs has expressed concern over China's growing presence and influence in the Indian Ocean Region, citing risks to India's national security and strategic interests. The panel also highlighted the strengthening China-Pakistan naval nexus as a cause for concern.
A new report suggests China's maritime vulnerability lies in the Strait of Hormuz, not Malacca, creating strategic competition in the Indian Ocean.
India is closely monitoring Sri Lanka's decision to offer foreign investors control of an airport near the China-controlled Hambantota port, as it could present a rare opening for Indian firms seeking strategic footholds in the Indian Ocean.
India's Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has stated that India is fully aware of China's increasing presence in the Indian Ocean Region, with 6-8 Chinese naval ships present at any given time. Admiral Tripathi emphasized that India knows "who goes where", suggesting strong maritime domain awareness, and has not allowed China to operate in areas of Indian interest. He also highlighted China's supply of maritime equipment to Pakistan, including submarines, which India is actively addressing to ensure its maritime security and trade.
India cannot choose its geography and devise regional strategies to dovetail into the Western Indian Ocean hypothesis conceived in the Pentagon, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
CIDCA is headed by Luo Zhaohui, the former vice foreign minister and ex-ambassador to India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar affirms India's self-determined and 'unstoppable' rise, emphasising the nation's strategic growth and role in the Indian Ocean region amid evolving global dynamics.
Top commanders of the Indian Navy will discuss the implications of the West Asia crisis on India's energy security and review operational readiness at a three-day conference.
It is not clear whether India will go ahead with the plan for the missile test in view of the presence of the Chinese spy ship.
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
It is for the first time that a senior minister has said that Iran requested permission for docking three of its ships in Indian ports.
India has successfully conducted a flight test of an advanced Agni missile featuring Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology off the coast of Odisha.
New Delhi's regional partners in restraining a belligerent China -- primarily the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore -- would like the Indian Navy to lock down the Indian Ocean Region, while the other partners can focus on deterring the PLA (navy) in the South China Sea, explains Ajai Shukla.
The Indian Navy is also ramping up its operational cooperation with various friendly naval forces like the United States Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force in view of the fast evolving regional security landscape, they said.
China has obtained approval to explore a 10,000 sq km polymetallic sulphide ore deposit in an international seabed region in the Indian Ocean, much to the disquiet of India. The China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association in a statement on Tuesday night said that its application for the exploration of the southwest Indian Ocean region was recently approved by the International Seabed Authority.
'The flip side of this is that he won't hesitate to call out India if he thinks its policies are hurting US economic interests or border US foreign policy goals.'
Four Rafale fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force carried out a "strategic" mission over the Indian Ocean region for over six hours, in a significant demonstration of their long-range combat capabilities, people familiar with the operation said on Wednesday.
India is sending a shipment of diesel and petrol to Sri Lanka to help alleviate the country's energy crisis amidst regional instability.
The Congress party has called on the BJP-led government to adopt a unified national approach to restore India's role as a voice for peace, criticising the government's foreign policy and its impact on India's global standing.
The navies of India and Indonesia are launching the 14th coordinated patrolling on the waters of Indian Ocean, to prevent piracy, armed robberies, poaching, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities in the deep sea.
The Chinese ministry of defence in Beijing has said that the Indian Ocean cannot be a backyard of India, which naval forces from other countries could not visit.
As China tries to gain a foothold in the Indian Ocean region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India recognised that there are other nations around the world, with strong interests and stakes in the region.
Experts' worries intensified after Pakistan commissioned its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine, PNS Hangor, last month.
With the southwest monsoon stalled over southern Maharashtra, India is facing a nationwide rainfall deficit of 41 percent between June 4 and June 18, according to the latest India meteorological department (IMD) data.
India and France have renewed their 10-year defence cooperation agreement and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India, marking a significant step in strengthening their strategic partnership.
China has deployed a fleet of underwater drones called Sea Wing (Haiyi) glider in the Indian Ocean, which can operate for months on end and make observations for naval intelligence purposes, according to defence analyst HI Sutton.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed advocates for building democratic institutions over military intervention in resolving international conflicts, particularly in the context of the escalating West Asia crisis. He also discusses the impact of the conflict on the Maldives' tourism-dependent economy and calls for a stronger, more understanding India in the Indian Ocean Region.
Advocating deeper economic ties in the Indian Ocean region and emphasis on maritime security, India on Friday pitched for more robust "cooperative regionalism" and said the geo-strategic importance of the area cannot be underestimated.
India is likely to witness a mixed temperature pattern along with wetter-than-usual conditions in May, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicating that rainfall across the country is "most likely to be above normal" at over 110 per cent of the long period average (LPA).
The Indian Ocean group hoped to reconnect the old linkages but it has not been easy to do so due to large difference in the economic development of member countries. Shubha Singh reports.
